You wouldn’t know from the frequency of my blog posts this year that writing really is one of my favorite things.  For in 2013, I’ve been living the words of Her Excellency the Governor-General Quentin Bryce: “Yes, you can have it all, but not all at the same time. Set your own priorities, trust your gut and follow your heart.” And so, for the first time in eight years, being at my writing desk most every day of every week wasn’t a priority this year. Instead, I’ve been reflecting on life, reveling in the people and the things I love, reigniting a professional career and roaming the globe in search of the she who is me, in 2013.  What an adventure! Many destinations, many words of advice, many lessons along the way. Being a woman, carving out a career, and nurturing family and friendships; of course it all means different things to different people.  The choice is also the challenge. Letting go, easing up and not insisting on perfection in every one of life’s endeavours isn’t always easy. It can take conscious effort, and commitment, and a belief that even when life seems out of control, we can still be in control of our ultimate destiny.   I’ve observed this in many of the women who’ve inspired my career.  They know when to let go, which battles are worth fighting, and which to let pass.  When the going gets tough, they take a deep breath and confidently push on. Trying very hard to emulate these behaviors this year has been a great learning.  It’s tested my patience and broadened my perspectives.  And interestingly, those times I did regroup and reset my priorities, almost always I was the only person who noticed the change. A few gentle words of wisdom, like those from our Governor General, are sometimes just what we need. So as 2013 draws to a close, what better way to summarise the year and all of life’s possibilities than with a SlideShare of those inspirations that have resonated with me this year.

Thank you for being my audience and my sounding board again in 2013.  I will be back in 2014 with many changes to The SheEO Blog and sphinxx… and I apologise in advance if the website upgrades don’t go completely to plan (as they never really do!) With best wishes for a very Merry Christmas! Jen 🙂